Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4885 Fang Jun is Henpecked
However, Li Ji also understood the truth that "a soldier is first and foremost an individual". As a human being, he has a stance and interests that he needs to fight for. This also makes it impossible for a soldier to remain pure and even more impossible to stand firm in his proper stance.

So when he sensed that Chang'an City was about to be in turmoil, he called Liang Jianfang over and gave him earnest instructions.

He didn't want his few remaining subordinates to make a mistake and fall into an irreversible abyss.

But everyone has their own ambitions. If someone doesn't listen to advice and insists on doing it his own way, then it's not his fault...

The two drank tea, and outside the window, heavy snow fell. Liang Jianfang poured wine for Li Ji and asked in a low voice: "Emperor Ying has given you this instruction, but is there a risk that the situation in Chang'an will collapse?"

The words were still cautious and ambiguous. The so-called "collapse" naturally refers to someone plotting rebellion or even launching a mutiny...

Li Ji shook his head, picked up the wine glass and took a sip: "No need to pay attention to those, just perform your duties."

Although he secretly disliked some things, he could not speak them out loud.

The troops loyal to Your Majesty inside and outside Chang'an and throughout Guanzhong are now more than capable of annihilating the rebels with lightning speed before they start an uprising. However, Your Majesty has repeatedly suppressed them and held back. It is not difficult to guess what he is thinking.

However, in his opinion, these were all unnecessary. What if the imperial power was restricted? Being able to sit firmly on the throne was the most important thing. The harm of ministers sharing power was far less than the turmoil of the royal family. Throughout history, all the rebellions of people were added together, and there were very few cases of powerful ministers usurping the throne. Most of them were rebellions by royal family members.

In short, it is very difficult for a minister to steal the throne, but it is much easier for a royal family to rebel. It is extremely stupid to risk being rebelled against by a royal family in order to seize imperial power.

But he has always been unwilling to get involved in these matters. As long as Li Chengqian is still on the throne, or to put it another way, as long as the throne is inherited by Your Majesty and the Crown Prince, the rest is unimportant. If Your Majesty is willing to make trouble, let him do it.

In extreme cases, even if something goes wrong with His Majesty, as long as the Crown Prince is safe, the empire will not be in chaos...

Liang Jianfang also understood what Li Ji meant, nodded, and promised: "I will definitely abide by my duties and will never have second thoughts."

After finishing the business, Li Ji asked: "How is the control of the army? Can it enforce discipline?"

The Left Guard had always been under the command of Li Keshi. Liang Jianfang might not be able to control the army as he wished after his sudden promotion. If his generals disobeyed orders and mistakes occurred at critical moments, it would not only be a joke, but could be fatal.

"Don't worry, Marshal. When the Duke of Danyang left his post, everything was explained very clearly to everyone. There was no foul play. The army has been reorganized and military affairs have been assigned quite smoothly in recent days. The officers and soldiers have followed orders and have not shirked their responsibilities. We are now in full control."

From ancient times to the present, the army has always "obeyed the orders of the commander-in-chief". It is better to say that it is the commander-in-chief's army rather than the country's army. The commander is loyal to the country and the king, and so is the army. Conversely, the entire army often follows the commander-in-chief's will. Whether they are loyal or treacherous, whether they are the pillars of the country or the scourge of the world, it all depends on the commander-in-chief's thoughts.

However, it is not easy for a commander to fully control an army. After all, the composition of an army is often extremely complex, and the interests pursued by each individual are not necessarily consistent with those of the commander. Under such circumstances, it is extremely difficult to make the army as united as one.

Especially for someone like Liang Jianfang who took over an army halfway, it might seem that the officers and soldiers in the army were obedient at ordinary times, but it was unknown whether they would obey the commander's orders at the critical moment...

"Don't be careless. Although Li Keshi's talent is not as good as Duke Wei's, he is also full of strategies and has made great achievements. He may have left some spies in the army. Although he may not instigate some officers at the critical moment, we still have to be on guard."

"Yes! I will be more careful and identify carefully, and will never leave any hidden dangers."

If the army suddenly mutinied when he was needed to escort the palace, it would not only be a matter of dereliction of duty, but his entire family would lose their heads if the matter was investigated...

*****
The sudden increase in the number of guards and eunuchs in the Taiji Palace made the atmosphere tense. Everyone knew that the situation was extremely unusual, and it was inevitable that people were panic-stricken.

In Shujing Palace, Empress Su came to visit Princess Changle and Lu'er today, and Princess Jinyang also accompanied them. The Empress held Lu'er in her arms and kissed her white and tender cheek affectionately, causing Lu'er to dance with joy and laugh even more. She told Princess Changle, "Don't go out of the palace these days, especially to the Taoist temple in Zhongnan Mountain. After all, the safety of the deep mountains and forests cannot be guaranteed, and no matter how many guards there are, they are bound to be negligent. If something happens, you won't have time to cry."

The crimson palace skirt was tailored to fit her figure perfectly, outlining her slender waist. Her hair was like clouds, covered with pearls and jade. She looked dignified and elegant amidst her wealth and splendor. In terms of beauty, Empress Su was no less beautiful than Changle and Jinyang.

Princess Changle was a little nervous when she heard this, and frowned slightly: "Is there any movement from the royal family?"

Many people in the royal family have been restless and dissatisfied with Li Chengqian's firm grip on the throne for a long time. Although successive mutinies have failed to shake Li Chengqian's throne, it is obvious that those people have not given up, and their ambitions are barely concealed, both overtly and covertly.

Empress Su looked worried and sighed, "Who said it wasn't true? Your Majesty doesn't want to bear the infamy of slaughtering the royal family. You are just waiting for them to take action first and then counterattack. By then, the evidence will be irrefutable. But as the saying goes, there is always a loophole. What if the thieves find an opportunity? What shall we do then?"

Princess Changle pursed her lips and kept silent.

Obviously, the Queen must have advised many times on this matter, but it seems to have no effect. As His Majesty's throne becomes more and more stable, his temper becomes more and more arrogant. In the past, he would listen to the advice of the Queen and Fang Junzhi, but now he is acting more and more on his own.

I don't know why, but the usually kind and benevolent Majesty suddenly became extreme and stubborn, making the people close to him feel more and more unfamiliar...

Princess Jinyang said softly, "If that's the case, then isn't Taiji Palace the most dangerous place? Sister Changle, why don't you send Lu'er to the Duke of Liang's Mansion? No matter how chaotic Chang'an City is, the Duke of Liang's Mansion must be the safest place."

She had an extremely strong admiration for Fang Jun and believed that Fang Jun could handle any situation. If even the Duke of Liang's Mansion was not safe, there would be no so-called "safety" inside or outside Chang'an City...

"This……"

Princess Changle was hesitant.

It stands to reason that sending the child to the Duke of Liang's Mansion, away from the palace, which is a place of trouble, is indeed the safest approach. However, the problem is that that little girl Gao Yang has said time and again that she wants to bring Lu'er back to the Duke of Liang's Mansion to be raised by the couple. If that happens, the child will rightfully return to the Fang family, and it will be difficult for her to see him in the future.

On one hand, there is the safety of the child, and on the other hand, there is the possibility of the mother-child relationship being severed. It is really difficult to make a choice...

Queen Su saw Princess Changle's uneasiness and asked in a low voice, "Are you worried that it would be easy to send the child to the Duke of Liang's mansion, but it would be difficult to take the child out again?"

Princess Changle nodded, blinked her beautiful eyes, and looked at the queen for help.

The queen placed the child in the swaddling clothes, holding her forehead with her bare hands, and looked very speechless: "Although you are a girl, even when Emperor Taizong was alive, he paid great attention to you and often listened to your opinions. He thought you were as decisive as men in killing. Why do you act like a little wife now?"

Princess Changle felt a little aggrieved. Who told me to steal my sister's man and give birth to this child?
I was a head shorter than Gao Yang, and I lacked confidence...

Princess Jinyang suggested, "Sister, you can explain this matter to your brother-in-law. Just send Lu'er to the mansion to hide for a while, just to be safe. When the situation stabilizes in the future, you must bring her out. Your brother-in-law will agree."

Princess Changle asked curiously, "Why do you think your brother-in-law has the final say in this matter?"

Princess Jinyang was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Why doesn't my brother-in-law have the final say?"

In her mind, Fang Jun is a contemporary hero who stands tall and proud. There is nothing he cannot do. Although Sister Gao Yang has a domineering personality and even orders people to cut off their arms, she has never been arrogant or acted like a coward in front of her brother-in-law. As long as her brother-in-law agrees to this matter, how can Sister Gao Yang go back on her word?

Princess Changle sneered: "Ha."

It is difficult for a man to be strong when he feels guilty. If it is a matter of life and death, Fang Jun will naturally stand firm in front of Gao Yang, but the problem is that it is far from a critical moment. Once Gao Yang gets angry, Fang Jun may not be able to hold on.

Moreover, she knew Fang Jun very well. That bastard had always wanted to take the child back. Maybe he could take advantage of Gao Yang's arrogance to push his way forward...

In contrast, the Queen did not know much about Fang Jun. After hearing the conversation between the two sisters, she was quite surprised and said, "Erlang is actually henpecked? I can't believe it! But it's not surprising. This is the tradition of their Fang family."

The "heroic feat" of Mrs. Fang Lu is still circulated in the market today, and is talked about by the people of Chang'an and used as a topic of conversation after dinner. She would rather drink a cup of "poisoned wine" than allow Fang Xuanling to take a concubine. Her life and deeds are truly legendary.

It is no news that Fang Yizheng's family has always been headed by his wife, Mrs. Du.

It seems natural for Fang Jun to pass on the "good family tradition"...

The Queen felt strange when she thought about how Fang Jun was so domineering and arrogant outside, but so timid and henpecked at home.

It is really unbelievable...

Princess Jinyang defended Fang Jun, "How can you say she is henpecked? She is respectful! My brother-in-law has always believed in equality between men and women, and he doesn't even care about the bad habit of 'men working outside and women working inside'. The fact that Madam Wu is in charge of the Fang family's business is a clear proof of this. Now she is in charge of the 'East Datang Company' on behalf of my brother-in-law. She is so open-minded that few people in the world can compare to her. She is a real man. She is much better than those men who are submissive outside and show off to their wives and concubines at home, right?"

The Queen and Princess Changle looked at each other, shook their heads, and sighed at the same time.

Jinyang, this girl, is deeply in love with Fang Jun and never forgets to protect him, which is really a headache...